Writing good articles with solid content is no longer enough to effectively drive visitors to a website. In fact, it’s only half the battle.
Making effective use of article directories is the other 50% of successful article marketing. By following a few simple guidelines, you can effectively capitalize on one of the most inexpensive, versus costly, Internet ad methods. However, there are many common mistakes website owner/operators make when submitting articles to directories.
Better Search Engine Content = Click-Through
The first common mistake is confusing the reason to promote an article with the reason to write it in the first place. There are three key benefits to writing an article: branding, lead generation, and promotion. But there is just one main reason to write an article: to inform the audience. The only way to coax a reader to finish an article and click on the resource box is by writing better content.
Strategic Placement of Article Marketing Keywords
The second biggest mistake is a failure to maximize the promotional opportunities inherent in article marketing. It is well-known that quality articles can help generate additional links back to an owner/operator’s website. But placing keywords in strategic locations will result in higher rankings in search engine results and more visitors.
Successful article marketing also involves being picked up by publishers with large audiences and leveraging other brands because of the quality of the content. If the article serves the intended function, it will increase site visitors and potentially put more money in the website owner/operator’s bank account.
Make Sure Article Marketing Content Helps Readers
Not all article banks or directories will accept a submission automatically. Many article directories have guidelines and specifications that must be followed before an article is accepted. The number of sites available for submission can be doubled if the author is writing articles the directories want to share with other people. One publisher with 100,000 readers can immediately increase a potential audience.
Linking Articles Can Be a Big Boost
If a website owner/operator chooses to submit articles to ezines and/or newsletters, providing a link to their other articles, on similar topics, is just as important. If readers like the article, they most likely will click on the link directing them to the next article in the series.
The most effective way to make article marketing work is to write articles that publishers want. Obey the tips to make sure your articles get read, spell check, research a good topic, and produce good content in order to maximize exposure through article directories.
It is simply a matter of choice. A little exposure can be gained by increasing links back to a site on a basic level. Massive exposure can be earned through investing the time to ensure quality content – affordable website marketing made easy.
* Originally published on Suite 101 October 12, 2010
